Lecture delivered at IULM part of the university's 2022 international week.

2. PR as Social Responsibility
Prof. Dr. Ana Adi
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3. www.anaadi.net | @ana_adi
What would you like to learn/find out
from this lecture?
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When you think of (corporate) social
responsibility what do you think of?
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Arguments used to justify CSR
• Moral (focuses on the relationship between business and wider society; values
based)
• Rational (helps maximize to maximize their performance by minimizing
restrictions on their operations)
• Economic (it benefits the business financially)
(Werther & Chandler, 2011)
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Move away from this
Focus first on these
https://blogs.dickinson.edu/one-earth-multiple-worlds/2020/06/16/sustainability/
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https://sdgs.un.org/goals
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9. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/reimagining-the-post-pandemic-organization
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https://www.techsangam.com/2012/02/16/differences-between-csr-and-csv-creating-shared-value/
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https://www.quadriga-hochschule.com/app/uploads/2021/03/QHS_Quadriga-Reader_Corporate-Activism_Adi.pdf

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Values matter
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Purpose matters
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When you think of
public relations/communications,
what does come to your mind?
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(traditionally) mission of PR
• Servant of the organization
• Defender of the organization and its
reputation
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https://www.globalalliancepr.org/2021-the-global-pr-and-communication-model
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Clark, 2000, p. 370
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Clark, 2000, p. 374
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A profession
(unlike an occupation)
• Provides Social benefit
• Needs specialization
• Needs specialist education
• Has a professional ethic
• Is organized and served by professional
groups and associations
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In your view, what should be mission and purpose of
PR/Comms?
How about its social benefit of PR/Comms?
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In discussing the purpose of PR/Comms one needs
to consider 3 levels
Individual Professional Societal
organization organization
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Values do matter: they unite as much
as they divide.
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https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-
homepage/93863/%E2%80%9Cmy-friend-thinks-bill-gates-will-microchip-
humanity%E2%80%9D-now-what_en

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https://twitter.com/carljackmiller/status/1504896238826700800
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33. Licence to facilitate:
PR as social responsibility
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A change of focus
• Society first
• Recognition that persuasive
communication has long term
effects
• Recognition of the social
responsibility of PR
• More reflection (and research)
on issues of power, culture,
diversity, inclusion and equity
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• Ethical boards (not only ethical codes, voluntarily endorsed)
• PR register
• System of certification (joint efforts including both academia AND
associations)
• Transparency
More checks and balances
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Different education
• Communication as compulsory study topic in all specializations, humanities
and science alike
• More attention to critical thinking and research
• Life-long learning
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Achieving balance between the 3
spheres is challenging and difficult
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• Know your personal values (and biases) including your cultural influences
• Listen
• Read widely
• Reflect
• Engage
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Personal values
basis for ethical literacy
https://survey.valuescentre.com/survey.html?id=s1TAEQUStmx-pUIle-ma6Q
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Gibbs (1988) framework for reflection
Describe the event (task)
What happened?
Self-awareness
What were you thinking and
feeling?
Evaluate what happened
What was good/bad?
Analysis
What sense can you make of
the situation?
Conclusion (synthesis)
What else could you have
done?
Action plan
What will you do differently
another time?
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Becoming a reflective practitioner
Value of reflection
• Involves a review of your past action to help inform and improve your future performance
• Enables critical examination of your own work and competencies – and that of others
• Encourages you to think about what you are doing, and why – particularly in assessing its validity and
value
• Helps you to consider the knowledge used in undertaking activities and interpret this in relation to
existing ideas
• Underpins your practical experiences through application of theory, models and concepts
• Challenges your existing beliefs and behaviours in a mindful way
• Supports development of creativity and originality – within an ethical context
• Demonstrates a professional development approach
• Evidences ‘kaizen’ (process of continuous improvement)
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https://www.socialvalueint.org/principles

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https://eavi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/beyond-fake-news_COLOUR_WEB.pdf
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https://crankyuncle.com/a-history-of-flicc-the-5-techniques-of-science-denial/
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What are your take-aways from today’s
lecture?
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Check out the #WomeninPR podcast
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